Uncle Youhei
by Reaching4thatplace
Summary: When Tomoya and Nagisa leave for a month for a well deserved get away, it is up to Uncle Youhei to look after little Ushio. However, he had no idea how much this little girl would impact his life and how much just one short month with her could change his life in a way he had never imagined.
1. Chapter 1- Uncle Youhei arrives

**Uncle Youhei**

**I** hopped off the train, struggling to pull my suitcase off it with me. The station was packed full of people but I could quite clearly see that messy mop of blue hair that I was looking for.

"Tomoya!" I yelled above the crowd

"Sunohara, good to see you." Tomoya lead me out to his car and we began the short drive back to his and Nagisa's home. The two of them had moved in to Nagisa's parent's bakery after they left it to them to go travelling. Ever since we all finished school it's like they sped ahead in life and left the rest of us in their dust. They had a baby, a new home and a bakery to run. Although I have to admit, I was not jealous. My life wasn't exactly going anywhere fast but I was okay for the time being.

"So how's the job going, man?" Tomoya asked

"It wasn't for me"  
"Wait, so you quit?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. I'll find something else" I smiled because I really did believe that something else would come along for me

"You're not still thinking about modelling are you?" Tomoya looked at me skeptically

"I can't help it if I've got the looks, man" We both chuckled and I realised how much I had missed this guy.

"So are you excited about spending sometime with the little lady?" Tomoya asked as we slowed to a stop. It was 5pm which meant most people were on their way home from work, so it wasn't surprising that we got stuck in traffic.

"Yeah, of course. But I'm kind of nervous, I've never spent so much time with her alone before"

"Don't worry about it, she loves you" Tomoya smiled at me

"Really?" I beamed. The traffic began to disappear and we were soon parking the car and pulling my suitcase up the lane towards the bakery. Then I saw her, for the first time in quite a while. her hair was pulled back and tied with a bow and she stood smiling and waving at me. She was so cute and I couldn't wait to hold her in my arms. I had no idea how much this girl would impact my life.

"Uncle Youhei!" She ran towards me ,giggling, with her arms spread wide

"There she is!" I grabbed her waist and swung her high into the air before bringing her down for a quick cuddle. "How is my favorite niece doing, eh?" I held her in one arm and pulled my suitcase inside with the other

"I'm good! How are you?" She tapped me on the nose. When she was younger I used to tap her on the nose to make her laugh and she loved it so much that it quickly became our thing.

"All the better for seeing you, my sweet" I sat her down on the counter and turned to Tomoya "So where's Nagisa?"

"She was just doing a checklist when I left so she should be down soon. Ushio, why don't you show Uncle Youhei where Mummy and Daddy are going?" He lifted her down and she ran from the room

"She's sure is growing up fast, isn't she? Are you sure you trust me with her?" I smiled anxiously

"Of course, you're my closest friend. Plus, we asked her who she wanted to look after her while we were gone and it was you she requested" Tomoya put a hand on my shoulder and grinned

"She did?" I felt so flattered. I had always had a great relationship with Ushio, so much so that she called me Uncle Youhei once and from the then on it stuck. I was and always will be Unchle Youhei.

"Look! Mummy and Daddy will be here!" Ushio tugged on my coat and held out a postcard for me to look at. On the front of the postcard was a beach scene full of tall palm trees and big yachts in the water.

"Tell Uncle Youhei where that is, Ushio" Tomoya picked up his daughter and held her close. He was obviously going to miss her very much.

"Greece! Daddy and Mummy are going to Greece to see Akki and Sanai!" Ushio beamed and then wrapped her arms round her Daddy's neck and held him tight. It was strange seeing Tomoya as a father, even after all these years, but it looked right. The role of a father fit him perfectly.

"Sunohara!" Nagisa's voice came from no where and I suddenly felt her arms around me.

"Nagisa, so nice to see you again!" I began to hug her back.

The four of us stood and chatted for a while but it was soon time for Tomoya and Nagisa to leave.

"Okay, I left all the numbers you made need stuck on the fridge and I don't want to be too strict but Ushio musn't go to bed any later than 7:30 and school has finished for the summer so you don't need to worry about that. Oh, and not too much television and Sunohara make sure you both eat properly and not just get takeouts each night, okay? Oh yeah, and-"

"Tomoya, are you done?" Nagisa interrupted with a giggle

"Um, Yes. I think so" He smiled, almost looking embarrassed

"Don't worry so much, Tomoya. Uncle Youhei will do a great job. Isn't that right, Ushio?" Nagisa knelt down and hugged her daughter tight, before kissing her gently on the head and standing again to say goodbye to me. Tomoya did the same and Ushio and I watched as her mummy and daddy got in the car and began to drive away. We stood in the doorway for a moment, silent and just staring. Suddenly I felt Ushio's little warm hand in mine and I couldn't help but squeeze it.

"Are you okay?" I asked her

"I'm okay, I have my Uncle Youhei" She grinned and pulled me inside. This was going to be a very interesting month and I had no idea how much it would change my life.


	2. Chapter 2- It's just the beginning

Chapter 2- Settling in

The first night was easy. Tomoya and Nagisa had left at around six O'clock and Ushio's bedtime was around 7:30 so I only had an hour and a half to have to keep her occupied. I cooked her plain rice, since that was the extent of my cooking skills, and then took her outside to watch the sunset.

"Look, Ushio. You can see it getting lower and lower." I smiled and pointed at the setting sun

"It's so pretty" She stared in amazement as if she had never really seen a sunset before. I guess by this time of night her mummy or daddy would be bathing her or getting her ready for bed. "Will you play with me?" She asked, suddenly holding out a pack of cards

"Where did you get those from?" I took them from her and started shuffling

"Akki bought them for me, they're from Italy" She beamed

"Wow. Akki and Sanai sure do get around, don't they?" I picked her up and positioned her on the bench so we were facing each other and able to play on the bench's surface.

"Yes, and one day I'll be able to go with them!"

"Is that want you want? To travel?" I asked. I wasn't sure if she really knew what travelling meant.

"I sure do! I want to see everything" She smiled innocently and I couldn't help but melt inside at the sight of her little smile. We sat and played for a while, until it was too dark out to see the cards. I taught her a new game called Twenty-ones, although I doubt Tomoya would be happy that I had taught his daughter a gambling game. Once we were back inside I could see that she was getting tired, but just like any other kid, she wouldn't admit it.

"Ushio, look at the time! It's 8:30, you should have been in bed an hour ago!" I rushed her in to the bathroom and helped her get ready for bed. She lead me to her room and decided to give me a little tour. She picked up every toy and began to tell me about them.

"This is my Dango Family collection. Daddy used to buy them for mummy each year on her birthday and now she's given them to me!" She picked one up and handed it to me, then picked up another and squeezed it herself.

"Speaking of the Dango Family, Uncle Youhei bought you a little present. Wait here, okay?" I smiled and ran to my bag to fetch her her present. It was a soft pair of Dango Family pajamas. They were blue and covered in all the different Dango Family members. I saw them one day a while back and knew she would love them.

"They're so pretty! Thank you, Uncle Youhei!" before I had even got back in the room she had grabbed them and was already trying to get in to them. I laughed as I watched her struggle to get them off the hangers.

"Here, Ushio, let me" Once she was all wrapped up in her pajamas I tucked her in to bed and we said goodnight.

I had slept in Tomoya and Nagisa's room and when I woke up I was startled to see Ushio sat at the end of the bed. I could see she had tried to get herself ready. Her skirt was was caught in her top and she was wearing odd socks. Her hair was down and she had tried to tie a bow in it but instead created a knotty mess. I looked at her and sighed tiredly.

"Ushio, what time is it?" I sat up and beckoned her towards me.

"Um, I'm not sure" She said as I untangled the ribbon from her hair.

"Well, what are you doing up and dressed?"

"I wanted to see the sunrise" she looked down at her hands and shuffled her feet

"Have you slept at all?" I held her chin and lifted her head, her eyes were puffy and dark

"Not really. Please, Uncle Youhei?" She smiled at me and I couldn't say no to her sweet smile.

I gave her one of my hoodies to put on, it was far too big so I rolled up the sleeves for her. We stepped out into the brisk morning air. It was still dark as it was only 5am, but since she had made the effort to stay up all night just to see the sunrise I didn't mind being up so early. We sat on the back porch and I told Ushio to wait there whilst I made us some hot chocolate. Her tiny hands clasped the mug and she slowly sipped at her drink. I could see she was cold so I leaned over, lifted her in to my lap and wrapped my arms around her.

"You're not too cold, are you?" I asked as I lifted the hood to the jacket she was wearing over her head

"Nuh uh" She shook her head side to side

"Okay, well let me know if you are. I don't want you catching a cold" Ushio and I sat for while, talking and sipping our hot chocolate untill the sun finally decided to awaken and rise above our town.

"Look, Ushio. There it goes" I smiled as she wriggled in my lap with excitement

"It's beautiful! Hello, sunshine!" She waved as it got higher and higher in the sky.

Once the sun took it's place in the sky for the day I asked Ushio what she'd like for breakfast and she told me she knew the perfect place. It was still early so we didn't bother getting changed. I went out in my night clothes and just simply put on a coat and shoes and Ushio went out in her odd outfit and my hoody which was ginormous on her.

"Mummy used to work here" She said as we arrived at a hip diner down town.

"Really?" I never knew Nagisa worked here. We went inside and sat in a booth next to the window. There was a small family having breakfast at a table near us and I was surprised to see people out at that time of the morning. A waitress came over and took our order. Ushio obviously came here a lot as the waitress already knew what she wanted to order- a big stack of raspberry pancakes. I ordered a coffee and a breakfast muffin.

"so what do you want to do today, Ushio?" I asked, I could barely see her over her stack of pancakes

"The beach!" She said through a mouthful of pancake and raspberrys

"Okay, the beach it is then" I smiled and continued to eat my breakfast. We spent around another hour in the diner before we headed home to get ready for the beach.

"Ushio, come here" I noticed she had something on her face

"What is it?" She asked and I examined her face closely

"You have raspberry all over your face" I chuckled. Once Ushio was all cleaned and up and I was dressed we made our way to the beach.

"I'm surprised you're not falling asleep by now" I said

"Why, uncle Youhei?" She looked up at me and smiled but I could see that she was very tired

"You didn't sleep last night, did you? Come here" I pulled her up in to my arms and carried her the rest of the way. as I walked in the hot sunshine I felt her burrow her head in to my shoulder. She was so tired she fell asleep in my arms as I walked with her. She felt so soft and warm against my chest, it made my heart melt like warm toffee. I had never felt like this before and I wasn't sure what was causing it. She was still asleep when we arrived at the beach so I carefully sat down in the sand and held her until she woke.

"Can we go in the water now?" she asked, pulling me away from our towels and picnic. We spent the whole day at the beach. We built sandcastle after sandcastle, had a picnic, played in the water and even had a game of Frisbee. We were sat back on the sand wrapped in our towels when Ushio asked me for an icecream.

"Okay, will you be good and wait right here for me whilst I get them?"

"Yes" She nodded

"Okay, i'll be right back" I made my way to the ice cream stand which was a little further up the beach. I could see the day was getting darker as the sun was quickly hidden by thick grey clouds. When I got to the ice cream stand I felt a drop of rain on my cheek, then another and another. Before I knew it rain was coming down in heavy sheets and all you could heard was the rumble of thunder in the distance. I decided against the ice cream and began to hurry back to Ushio when a fork of lightning hit the beach. I stumbled back, shocked from the sudden flash of lighting but quickly recovered and ran for Ushio. My heart stopped when I got back to our towels- Ushio was not waiting for me there.

"Ushio! Ushio, where are you?" I yelled as loud as I could, but it was no good trying to be heard over the thunder and the roaring waves that were heavily lapping on to the shore.

"Ushio, where are you?"


	3. Chapter 3- My big day?

I frantically ran across the beach, kicking up clouds of sand with every heavy step. People that had earlier been enjoying the lovely weather were now running from the beach desperately grabbing at their towels and bags as the rushed by. I could barely see through the heavy sheets of rain and the people running around me were making it even hard to spot little Ushio. How could I lose her? In the five years that Ushio had been alive she had never experienced a thunderstorm. She must have been terrified, not knowing what was going on around her. I ran to the life guards chair, that sat right in the center of the sand, and shouted to the lifeguard that I was praying would be there

"Hello? Have you seen a little girl running off alone? Hello? She's got brown hair and she's wearing a blue dress" I was just wasting my breath. The useless lifeguard had run off the beach with the others. "Dammit!" I kicked the chair in frustration, which was when the idea hit me. I decided to climb the lifeguard chair myself. The chair was tall and overlooked the entire beach. If I was going to spot her, it would be up there on the lifeguard chair. I heaved myself to the top, almost falling off again as I stood on the seat. The rain was beating down even heavier now and each flash of lighting was brighter than the last. I shielded my eyes with both hands and scanned the beach intensely. Then I saw it, a sight that almost broke my heart. There was a bench that sat at the back of the beach. I examined it carefully and noticed something odd beneath the bench. _Ushio_ I thought to myself as my stomach flipped and knotted inside. She was curled up under the bench, clutching her towel for dear life. She looked so tiny and helpless. I leapt from the chair and sprinted towards her.

"Ushio! Ushio, it's okay. Uncle Youhei is here now" I reached out to her but as my hand gently touched her back she flinched and scrambled further beneath the bench.

"What's going on?" She sniffed through heavy tears. Her tiny hands were now clasped over her ears and her eyes were squeezed shut. I didn't know if she'd flinch again or try to squirm away from me but I reached out again anyway. I slowly wrapped one war around her stomach and carefully pulled her towards me. She didn't resist. Once I had her out from under the bench I lifted her up and held her close to my chest, cupping the back of her head with my hand to shield her from anything that would possibly scare. She quickly wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her head in to my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Ushio. Nothing is going to hurt you now." I abandoned my towel at the beach and began the run home, it was awful. I ran through the storm as fast as I could. With each clap of thunder Ushio's grip around my neck grew tighter and with ever flash of lightning her head disappeared further in to my chest. I hated myself for putting her through this.

Once we were back at the bakery I placed Ushio on her bed then manically ran round the house shutting all the windows and blinds.

"There, we're safe now" I knelt in front of her and placed a hand on her knee but she didn't look up. She simply sat, sobbing in to her hands. Then I noticed a stain on her dress- a red stain. _Blood? _I thought as my heart jumped in to my throat.

"Ushio, what's this?" I lifted the skirt of her dress to get a better look at the stain but as I did it revealed a gaping cut on her knee. Blood was pouring from it and trickling down her leg. I looked at my own T-shirt and noticed that it was covered in blood too.

"How did this happen?" I cried "Did you do this when you were hiding under the bench?" I cupped her cheek and lifted her head to look at me. She nodded as more tears poured from her eyes. My stomach twisted at the thought of Ushio getting hurt, especially on my watch. I softly wiped away her tears with my thump and quickly carried her to the bathroom where I placed her on the side of the sink. I began to run some water in the bath before turning back to Ushio.

"We're going to need to wash that, okay?" I knelt down before her again and removed her shoes and socks

"No!" She said and grabbed at my hands

"Ushio, I know it hurts but it could get even worse if we don't wash it now"

"But It's stinging, Uncle Youhei" She mumbled

"I know. But I promise it will feel much better once we've cleaned, okay? So will you let Uncle Youhei clean it for you?"

"Okay" She let go of my hands and let me lift her down from the sink. She struggled to get out of her dress as it was soaked and stuck to her skin but once she had I lifted her in to the bath. She winced as I lowered her in to the warm water but I had to tend to her knee. I grabbed a jug and began pouring water over the cut. As the blood washed away it began to look a lot better, although Ushio was still in a lot of pain. After a while in the bath I grabbed a towel, wrapped it around her and cradled her back to her room.

"Where does mummy and daddy keep the first aid kit, Ushio?" I asked once I had sat her on her bed

"In the kitchen" She mumbled quietly and I rushed to get it. I grabbed a corner of the towel and lightly dabbed her knee dry

"How's it feeling?" I smiled

"Not good"

"It will get better. I promised, remember?" I grabbed a bandage from the kit and wrapped it around her knee. My hands were shaking at thought of Ushio being in pain but I tried to hide my upset from her.

The storm didn't pass. It stayed for a whole three days. We spent the entire time indoors, hiding from the terrible weather. We watched movies a lot and I taught Ushio some more card games. The storm became less and less scary to her and although she still refused to leave the house, she felt safe enough to at least open the blinds. On the second day Ushio taught me how to make her favourite pastries. We later built a fort out of sheets and cushions and picnicked in it with the pastries we had earlier made that day. On the third day Ushio asked me to tell her what her parents were like back in high school and so I tried to find Nagisa's photo albums. I eventually found one labeled _School days _and a sudden feeling of nostalgia rushed over me.

"Here you go, Ushio. I found some old pictures" I smiled and lifted her on to my lap where we spent hours looking at old pictures and telling her stories from our school days.

"Who's that?" Ushio pointed to a picture of a beautiful girl dressed in a big white dress stood on a great stage. I smiled widely at the memory

"That's your mummy, Ushio" I slipped the picture out of it's sleave for her to have a closer look

"Really? She's looks so pretty" Ushio stared wide eyed at the photo

"Yeah, she does. In fact, that's how we all met your mummy. She wanted to re-open the drama club very much and she worked very hard to do so. Your daddy was awfully kind to your mummy and helped her with every step of the way. That's when I met her too. Your mummy and daddy asked me to join the drama club and I just couldn't say no. This is the first play we all managed to put together. It was wonderful and Nagisa, your mummy, was incredible" again I felt a wave of sadness washed over me and I couldn't quite figure out why.

After I had put Ushio to bed I went back to the photo albums. There was one labled _Big days._ It was thick, bursting with memories. I picked it up and ran my hand over the smooth velvety cover. Slowly, I turned the page. _Our big day _I read aloud. There was picture after picture of Nagisa and Tomoya's quiet little wedding ceremony on the beach. It was simple but beautiful. There was a picture of the two of them stood under a stunnnig blossom tree. Tomoya had his arms around Nagisa's waist and her arms were wrapped around his neck with a hand gently placed in his hair. He was smiling down at her and she was smiling up at him. They were the definition of happiness.

The next section of the album read _Kyou's big day_. After Kyou left high school she went on to become a primary school teacher. She had fallen in love with a man named Kijuro, an aspiring doctor, and she became his wife two years later. I had attended her wedding day and again, it was simple but very elegant. Kyou look lovely in the pictures and very happy in the arms of her husband. I continued to flip through the album. Next was _Ryou's big day_. Ryou had married a boy we all went to high school with name Norio. They moved to the next town and from what I had heard they were expecting their first baby. Then it was _Tomoyo's big day. _

"Tomoyo's big day?" I yelled, quickly hoping I hadn't woken Ushio. For some reason seeing Tomoyo in the arms of another man hurt the most. She had never shown any interest in me and I had never thought of her and I as being a couple. I mean there was one time in my life that I was sure she was a man. Maybe it was just the fact that it seemed everyone had moved on with their lives so quickly. I turned the pages but there was no evidence of her wedding day and I knew I hadn't even had an invite or a mention of her being married. There were just pictures of her and this man looking very happy. I had never seen him before and wondered how she had met him. For some reason I felt in desperate need of some answers so I grabbed my phone and dialed the number Tomoya had left for me on the fridge.

"Hello?" Tomoya said tiredly

"Is Tomoyo married?" I asked loudly

"What?" He said dazedly

"I found Nagisa's photo album name Big days and Tomoyo is in there" I said staring at the album as if it was something to be afraid of. And maybe it was something to be afraid of. It was full of lives that I felt I was being pushed out of.

"Why do you care? You haven't spoken to her since Kyou's wedding day years ago. And how's Ushio? Is everything okay?" He sounded to be a little more awake now

"Yeah, yeah. Ushio's great. Now is she married or not?" I was beginning to get impatient

"Urgh. No, she's not married. They're just engaged for now but Nagisa saved a spot for them in the album anyway. I mean she even saved a spot for you. Good night, Youhei. Please have Ushio call us in the morning." He said calmly and then hung up.

"Me?" I crouched down and picked up the album. In some what of a daze I began to turn the pages and sure enough it was there. _Youhei's big day. _I simply sat and stared at the black Italic writing. Nagisa believed I would get married? Even I never thought of myself getting married. For some reason this meant the world the to me, although the fact that I had a spot reserved for me in Nagisa's _Big day_ album made me feel strange- almost sad. _Will there ever be pictures here? _I thought.

"Uncle Youhei?" Ushio was suddenly stood in the doorway clutching a Dango family squishy close to her chest

"Huh?" I looked up, still feeling dazed "Ushio? Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?" I closed the album and got to my feet

"No, the thunder did" She said quietly

"Thunder?" I guess I had completely forgotten about the storm as I became so engrossed in the album. Now that she had mentioned it, I realised that the storm did sound particularly violent that night. Then the room was suddenly full of flashing light and the quiet was consumed by a roaring clap of thunder. Ushio instantly dropped her squishy and ran towards me before throwing her arms around my legs.

"I don't like it!" She sobbed

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you, okay. Come here" I carried her to the sofa and sat her on my lap. She looked up at me and I could see she was exhausted. "How about you try and get some sleep whilst I'm with you?" I said, brushing a hand through her hair

"I can't, not without daddy" She said

"Why's that?" I asked

"Mummy taught daddy a charm for when I can't sleep, but he's not here" She began to cry again

"Well, I'm here. Maybe I can help with the charm" I smiled. She looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded

"Okay" She agreed

"So, what do I have to? Sing a lullaby whilst dancing round the room?"

"No! I have to sleep in your lap. Mummy says that if ever you can sleep, sleeping in someones lap will help you right away. I sleep in daddy's lap when ever I'm scared" she said as rubbed her eyes

"Okay, I think we can do that" I smiled. She shuffled next to me and then led her head in my lap. I placed a hand softly on her back to make her feel more secure and as if like magic, she had fallen asleep.

"Wow, it really works" I whispered to myself. I watched peacefully as her shoulders rose and fell with every breath she took. I brushed her hair off her face and whispered "Good night, Ushio" before kissing her head goodnight.


	4. Chapter 4- Nice to see you again

A week passed and I was really settling in to life at the bakery. Ushio and I were getting on like a house on fire and I was really enjoying my time with her. However, there was always a sense of sadness in the back of mind and I couldn't quite figure out why. I couldn't help but think about the people I had left behind. No that's not right, they had left me behind. And who could blame them? Like I said, I was going no where. Figuring out whether I was okay with that or not was hard.

"Uncle Youhei, what's the matter?" Ushio asked, tapping me on the nose. I suddenly realised I had been sat staring in to space like a zombie.

"Huh? Nothing, I was just thinking. Don't you worry" I smiled

"I want to go out" She said and began trying to pull me off the couch, although her efforts were futile since I was over twice her size and weight.

"And where would it be that you'd like to go?" I asked

"I want to visit someone" she demanded

"who?"

"Anyone" She shrugged

"Oh, I.. I see" I said sadly "Sick of me already, are you?" I threw my head into my hands and began to sob

"Wah? Um, no! Uncle Youhei" She paniced and I felt her clamber up on to the couch

"No, it's fine" I said through more fake sobs

"Uncle Youhei, I'm sorry!" Suddenly she was on my back with her arms tight around my shoulders "Please don't cry"

"Okay, I won't" I said. I stopped crying and quickly wrapped my arms under her legs before running round the room with her clinging to my back. I span round and round, listening to her squeal with laughter. It was such a beautiful sound. Making Ushio laugh was one of the best parts of my day.

"Okay" I said, letting her back to her feet "we can visit someone"

"Really?" She beamed

"Yep, any one in mind?" I smiled

"Um... Kyou and Kijuro!"

"Kyou?" I was surprised Ushio wanted to see Kyou. I hadn't thought that she was a big part of Tomoya and Nagisa's life anymore, but then again how was I to know even if she was? I hadn't spoken to her since Ryou's wedding day.

"Yes, Kyou"

"Okay, but why Kyou? Does she spend a lot of time with you?" I asked

"She teaches me at school"

"What?" I don't know why this surprised me. Kyou was a teacher in the only Kindergarten in our town which Ushio obviously went to. "I guess she's a pretty big part of mummy and daddy's life still then, huh?" Was I jealous? I kind of felt jealous- but of what?

"Yep"

After a short while of getting ready I found myself sat in the back seat of a cab with Ushio next to me clutching her Dango family overnight bag.

"You know, I don't think you need to pack an over night bag" I said. The engine came to life and we were quickly motoring away.

"Of course I do" She said "It's always good to be prepared" She tapped her trusty night bag as she spoke

"Prepared for what?" I asked

"Adventure" She whispered. I laughed to myself.

"Really? You think we might find adventure on this little visit?"

"Maybe, you never know when you'll find an adventure" she smiled. I doubted it, but a part of me hoped we would find adventure. Adventures always led to some great realisation on the adventurers behalf, and that was something I could definitely do with.

"Well, Ushio, I hope we do find adventure" I smiled.

I no longer knew where Kyou lived but Ushio had told the cab driver exactly where to go. I hoped she wasn't wrong because not only was this cab drive costing a fortune, but I didn't want to wind up in some scary part of the city with a five year old and nothing but a over night bag for one. However it turned out to be quite the opposite. We wound up in an even quieter part of the city, full of lush trees and lovely little bungalows. Each home had a front yard full of pretty flower beds and benches.

"Kyou lives here?" I turned to Ushio who was staring ahead excitedly

"Yep!" She smiled

"What does Kijuro do for a living?" I asked, wondering how a kindergarten teacher could afford to live somewhere like this

"He's a doctor"

"Ah, of course" Well that made sense.

The cab pulled up outside one of the smaller bungalows, but it was still beautiful, and we hopped out the car. Ushio didn't wait for me whilst I paid the driver and ran straight up the path and began banging on the door since she was too small to reach the doorbell. The cab drove away but I stood right where I was and watched as the front door slowly open to reveal a very different looking Kyou. She wore a cream shirt over blue jeans and sandles. She had a woolly cardigan wrapped around her, despite the hot weather, and wore her wedding ring on a golden chain around her neck. Her hair was no longer at her knees but was now cut to her shoulders and that ever familiar white ribbon was no where to be seen. I watched as she welcomed Ushio with open arms. _She's stunning _I thought as I watched her laughing with Ushio as she began to return inside her home.

"Wait" Ushio said "Uncle Youhei's here too" Ushio smiled and pointed towards me. A look of surprise spread across Kyou's face as she turned to look at me.

"Youhei..." She mannaged to say. We stared silently at each other for a moment.

"I see I still render you speachless, Kyou" I smirked, being the first to break the silence. I expected her to reply with an abusive remark but she simply smiled and welcomed me into her home. The inside was just as pretty as the out. It was very minimalist but full of life and every wall was lined with more pictures from our past. I felt a tinge of hurt in my stomach as we entered further into her new home, but I pushed it away and ignored it.

"Lovely place you've got here, Kyou" I smiled as we entered the kitchen.

"Well I always dreamed of settling down here when I was younger and I worked hard untill that dream came true. Coffee?" She smiled. _Kyou's dream?_ I thought. _I never even knew._

"Thanks" I said as Ushio pulled at the patio door and ran out to the back yard. "Ushio, wait!" I said

"No, it's okay. She's just looking for Boton" Kyou smiled

"I had no idea you had moved out here" I said as she continued to make our drinks

"Well, you haven't exactly kept in touch" She said. Sadly, she was right.

"I know, sorry"

"I understand, we're all busy with our new lives. It's difficult staying in touch with high school friends" She smiled. This definitely wasn't much like the old Kyou, the old Kyou would definitely be insulting or lecturing me by now.

"New lives" I repeated. Where was my shiny new life? Truth be told, my life was exactly the same as it was five years ago. I had no excuse not to stay in touch.

"So I see Tomoya entrusted you with Ushio whilst they're away. You must feel honoured" she said handing me my coffee.

"I really do" I said as we watched her chasing Boton around the back yard. "She's a great kid" I added

"She really is"

"Where's Kijuro?" I aksed

"He's working. He works alot" She said before sighing into her coffee mug

"Are the two of you still happy?" I asked

"Huh? Oh, of course" She smiled "We're thinking of starting a little family of our own, in fact"

"What? Really?" I almost chocked on my coffee

"Yeah. We're happily settled in our home and we both have steady jobs, so why not?"

"Having a baby isn't a _so why not_ kind of thing, it's a huge deal!"I was almost shouting for some reason

"Calm down, Sunohara. I want to have a baby" She smiled "Watching and helping Ryou with her pregnancy made me realise how much I want that for myself"

We talked for a long time about Kyou's decision to have a baby and everything else to do with her new life. I tried desperately to keep the topic of conversation away from me. _Since when have I cared what people thought of me?_ I thought to myself. And yet I still didn't want her to know that I was still just as much a loser as I used to be.

"How is Ryou, by the way?" I asked

"Well actually, I was going to see her for a few days. I'm leaving this evening, would like to come? You can see how she is for yourself"

"I don't know, I mean i've got Ushio" I tried to think of an excuse. As much as I wanted to see her, it would be hard on me being with the two of them together again.

"Well, it looks like she's quite prepared" Kyou smiled lifting Ushio's over night bag

"I don't have any over night stuff of my own"

"We can stop by the bakery to pick you up some things, it's on the way to the station anyway" She insisted

"Um.. well, I..." I scratched my head and awkwardly squirmed in my seat

"Urgh" Kyou sighed "Sunohara, I am asking you to come with me. Please accept my invitation and stop being so stupid" She threw her hands on her hips and stared down at me. There she was. Even if just for a second, I could see the old Kyou again.

"Okay, thank you. Me and Ushio would be happy to join you" I smiled.

The three of us headed back to the bakery and I welcomed Kyou inside.

"I love this place" She said "It's so homely. You can just feel that it's the home to a very happy family from the second you walk through the door."

"Yeah, you're right" I smiled. And she really was right. It was such a warm and happy place.

"Now, hurry up and grab your things before we miss the train. Ushio and I will go wait in the cab" and with that they were gone. I rushed around grabbing clothes and wash stuff and shoved it all into a bag. Then I found myself in the living room packing something I had no reason for. The album. I didn't know why I was packing it, I just felt that I wanted it with me.

"Okay, lets go" I said as I jumped back into the cab. Being around Kyou again was giving me mixed feelings. A part of me felt excitement but the rest of me felt saddened in some way. As we arrived at the station Kyou demanded Ushio and I to wait at the second platform with our bags whilst she got the tickets. I didn't argue and held Ushio's hand as I guided her through the crowds.

"I love taking trips" Ushio smiled and once again that little smile mad me feel so much better. Ushio had a unique way of lifting everybody's spirits and she didn't even realise it.

"Yeah, me too" I smiled back. Suddenly Kyou was by our side and dragging us on to a train

"Quickly, you two! We need to get good seats" She said pulling us through the train. We ended up sat at one of the few tables. You were lucky to get a table on the train as it had four seats rather than just the two. Ushio took her place next to Kyou whilst I stuffed our bags in to the overhead. The train journey was long but certainly not boring. Just like she always did, Ushio suddenly pulled out a pack of cards and asked us to play. A couple of times we would argue and accuse each other of cheating but it was all in good fun. After cards began to bore us Kyou brought out the food she had packed us for the journey.

"I bet Ryou can't wait to see you" Kyou smiled

"She's probably not too excited" I said through a mouthful of food

"Don't be silly, she was always very fond of you. It's a shame the two of you haven't spoken since her wedding day"

"What about me?" Ushio asked

"Yes, she's very excited to see you too, Ushio" Kyou smiled.

The train journey eventually came to an end as we pulled into a quiet town. We were the only people to get off at this stop and pretty much the only people in the station. Suddenly my stomach was churning with nerves and I found myself gripping on to Ushio's hand. Kyou led us out in to the car park. There she was. A very beautiful and very pregnant Ryou was waiting for us.


	5. Chapter 5- Changes I make

I woke up to a lonely bed once again. His side of the bed had been made neatly and his glasses were gone from his nightstand. I sighed and pulled myself from the comfort of my sheets and to the bathroom. My robe was hanging on the back of the door and so I lazily put it on before heading to the kitchen.

"Oh, you're still here" I said as I watched my husband polishing off a bowl of cereal at our table

"Yes, but i'll be leaving once I've finished this" He smiled robotically. I poured myself a mug of coffee and took my place opposite him at the table.

"Do you know when you'll be home?" I asked

"Probably not before you're gone. Give your sister my love for me, will you?"

"Yeah, sure" I said as he stood from the table and dropped his bowl and spoon in the sink

"Thanks. Clean these for me too, I don't have time" He said before heading out the room

"Wait, are you leaving?" I called out

"Yeah, I'll see when you get back" He came back and roughly kissed my head. Then he was gone.

"Oh, okay" I turned to the window and watched him drive away. He didn't even look back. It seemed our lives had quickly fallen into a routine that neither of us were fond of. I thought I had the life that every girl wanted. I was married to a successful doctor, lived in a lovely home in a beautiful part of the city and I was working my dream job and yet I was full of sadness. It was like we resented each other for creating this life together. It may of seemed perfect from the outside but it was actually full of emptiness and long lonely days. At school I was a strong girl who wouldn't change for anyone but the second I was wedded it was I became his project. He spent years molding and shaping me in to the perfect wife and I let him. I was quiet because he liked peace, I cleaned the house each day because he hated mess, I dressed in what he wanted and cut my hair because he didn't like it long.

_"And take out that ribbon, will you? It looks childish"_ He had said. I felt so small in the relationship that I just did what ever he asked without questioning it. I couldn't figure out when things had become like this. In the early years of our relationship he seemed perfectly happy with me just the way I was but as soon as he became my husband he seemed to think he owned me. We were no longer equals, just man and his wife.

I had always wanted a family. A loving husband, a gorgeous son and a little dog running around our feet- perfect. I think that's why I stayed. A big part of me was too afraid to walk away when I was so close to having the family I had always wanted. Kijuro wasn't very interested in having a family, he was too busy with work. I had hoped that a baby would change him, make him a better, more loving man. I was willing to try anything to make things work.

After I had cleaned the dishes and put them back in the cupboards I went to change in to clothes he had led out for me that morning.

"But it's so hot out" I said to myself as I held up the woolly cardigan he had picked out. I reluctantly slipped in to it and left the room. Since school had broken up for the summer there wasn't much for me to do. I simply hung around the house twiddling my thumbs and watching television. Instead of watching television today though, I was busy packing my bags. My sister Ryou was heavily pregnant and I was going to stay with her for a while to help her out. I was glad to be getting away and I couldn't wait to see her again. We were very close and her husband was also a good friend of mine. It would be nice to spend time with people that actually welcomed me. I was busy packing when I suddenly heard a light banging on the front door.

"Who would that be?" I asked myself as I zipped up my case before making my way to the front door. I rarely got visitors. _Maybe it was the mail man _I thought.

"Kyou!" I opened the door to find little Ushio standing on my step. Her parents were very good friends of mine and I taught her in kintergarden.

"Ushio, what are you doing here?" I asked, noticing she had an overnight bag. I knew her parents had gone away, had they sent her to stay with me?

"I came to visit you!" She said

"Oh really? Well, how lovely of you" I smiled and lifted her into the air before turning to go back inside.

"Wait" she said "Uncle Youhei is here too" She pointed down the path. My heart stopped. He really was there, stood at the bottom of my path staring just as wide eyed as I was. My stomach began to knot as took him in. He was wearing a dark blue hoody and baggy jeans and yet he still looked very handsome. His hair was still brighter than the sun and his eyes we're sparkling blue. I began to feel teary as he stood and smiled.

"Youhei..." was all I could bring myself to say. I hadn't seen this boy in years and seeing him now was making me feel very strange. _What is this I'm feeling_? I thought. Was I sad? Happy?

"I see I still render you speechless, Kyou" He grinned. There it was, his signature cheeky grin. I couldn't help but smile.

"Come in" I said.

We spent a long time talking whilst Ushio played outside with Boton, my pet pig. Youhei kept the conversation on me, no matter how hard I tried to talk about him. I was so nervous around him suddenly. I didn't want him finding out how much I had changed in the past five years. If he found out the truth I would simply seem broken, a delicate mess. He seemed happy and that made me feel even worse. He had obviously come a long way since high school. I felt a tinge of sadness as I thought about how I was slowly slipping out of these people's lives.

"Where's Kijuro?" He asked

"He's working. He works a lot" I sighed in to my coffee mug. I didn't want to talk about my husband. I'd hate Youhei to find out how terrible my marriage truly was.

"Are the two of you still happy?"

"Huh?" My stomach jumped. Could he see how unhappy I was? "Oh, of course. We're thinking of having a baby" I lied. Like I said, Kijuro had no interest in starting a family. I just wanted Youhei to think my life was heading somewhere. After a while longer of talking about our decision to have a baby he asked how Ryou was. I ended up inviting him to come with me whilst I visit her. This was the first time I had seen this boy in years and I wasn't ready to let him go again yet. For some reason I felt that I wanted him with me.

Ushio, Youhei and I caught a train later that afternoon and I was already feeling a lot happier. Youhei had this wonderful way of lifting my spirits and he didn't even know it.


	6. Chapter 6: I'm asking you

"Ryou!" Ushio beamed as she ran from my side

"Wow, look at you. You've grown up so much" Ryou smiled although she struggled to lift Ushio

"I'm a big girl now" Ushio said proudly

"You certainly are" Ryou returned Ushio to the ground with a smile and the two of them made there way towards Kyou and I. I was nervous to see Ryou. She used to be so emotional, the slightest thing would send her to tears so add pregnancy hormones on top and who knows what she'd be like.

"Kyou, I've missed you" She said as she threw he arms round her sister. These two had always been so close, in fact they were pretty much inseparable. It's a shame they lived so far apart now.

"I've missed you too. Just look how big you've gotten" Kyou stepped back to admire her sister's big baby belly. I have to say, it was pretty impressive. _Nagisa was no where near this big _I thought.

"Oh dear. I know, I'm huge" Ryou laughed and her cheeks flushed red. Then she turned to me.

"Hello, Ryou" I said

"Youhei Sunohra. It's been a while" She said calmly

"I'm sorry. I should have visited sooner" I looked at my feet. I was almost ashamed at what little effort I had made to see her- especially since she was pregnant.

"Oh, Sunohara. Don't worry about it. Now, come here" She smiled widely and pulled me into her embrace. I have to say, it felt very strange being pressed against that baby bump.

I grabbed all our bags as we proceeded to exit the station and head for Ryou's home. It was a lovely neighbourhood. Very quiet, secluded and surrounded by nature- just how Ryou loved it. I couldn't believe I was here with the twins again and this time one was married and thinking of having a baby and the other was married and _having_ baby. Again I thought about what I was doing with my life. What big news could I tell them? Was there anything exciting I could announce?

"Uncle Youhei" Suddenly Ushio was pulling at my jean leg

"Yes, Ushio?" I smiled

"Does Ryou have a baby?" She asked. I laughed.

"Well, almost" I said

"Almost?" She looked confused "Is it in her bubble?"

"Bubble?" I asked. Then I realised she meant Ryou's baby bump and laughed again.

"Yes, her bubble" Ushio stated

"Yes, Ushio. Ryou is keeping the baby safe in her bubble untill he or she is ready to come and meet us all" I smiled. It was far to early to be having the birds and the bees talk with her so if she thought it was a bubble I was very happy to let her keep thinking that.

"It's a he" Ryou turned back to face us and smirked. She must have over heard us.

"He? It's a boy? You're having a boy? Ryou, you're having a boy!" Kyou squealed with excitement and grabbed her sister close

"I know, I know! I can't wait to meet him!" Ryou and Kyou began to discuss possible baby names the rest of the way whilst Ushio and I hung back and enjoyed soaking in the neighbourhood.

When we got to Ryou's home we were welcomed by lovely cups of tea her husband, Norio, had prepared for us. Norio was a great guy and watching him and Ryou together was wonderful. We sat on the floor around a small table and Ryou sat in Norio's legs whilst he wrapped his hands round her waist and rubbed her belly.

"It's great to see you again, Sunohara" Norio said to me

"You too. I hope it's no trouble, I know me coming was quite a last minute decision" I said in reply. Kyou sat quietly in the corner and sipped her tea. Ushio sat close by my side nibbling on some animal crackers I had packed for her and flipping through her colouring book. I couldn't help but feel a little tense. Looking around I could see pictures of Tomoya, nagisa, Ryou and Norio all together and they made me feel guilty for letting myself slip away from these people.

"Unfortunately we only have one guest room, the other spare room is full to the brim with things for the baby, so someone will have to make do with a make shift bed in here" Ryou said

"I'll take the make shift bed" I volunteered, it was only right.

"Don't be silly" Kyou pitched in "It''ll be far too cold down here. You and Ushio can sleep in the guest room with me" It was the first thing she'd said in a while. This was awkward. Do I accept and share a bed with Kyou or do I refuse and risk _insulting_ her. Why do girls insist on putting us guys in difficult positions, eh?

"Really?" Ryou said

"Why not? There's a double bed in there right?" Kyou said

"Well, yeah but-"

"Great" Kyou smiled. Oh god, a double bed? Was she really insisting on us sharing a bed?

"Me and Ushio will take the bed and Youhei can sleep on a makeshift bed by the side" She said. Oh, so she wasn't insisting on us sharing a bed. I felt a little disapointed. Why was I disappointed? I can't like Kyou! What's wrong with me?

"Well as long as everone is happy with that arrangement, I'll get started with dinner" Norio said "Ushio, why don't you help me?"

"OKay!" Ushio beamed and chased after him. That little girl loved to cook. She had watched me cooked and begged to help but I didn't even know what I was doing so I couldn't involved too.

The three us sat there a little awkwardly before Ryou said "Right, I'm going to get into my pyjamas" and with that she was gone and I was alone with Kyou.

"Are you sure you don't mind sharing a room with Ushio and I?" I piped up

"I'm sure, it's not for long anyway" She was so casual and seemed quite distant

"Really? I'd be fine down here" I said

"It might be fun" she stood from the table and began to head out of the room

"But-"

"Youhei, I'm asking you to share a room with me" She said before exiting. That sounded familiar. In high school Kyou was always beating me up and was always so off with me but now it actually seems like she wants me around. It was nice but always slightly unsettling at the same tiime- but mainly nice. I sat in the front room by myself for a while not really knowing what to do with myself.

"Uncle Youhei, look!" Ushio came running in waving a bit of paper in my face

"What is it, Ushio?" I asked whilst lifting her to sit in my lap

"It's a festival" She smiled. I looked at the piece of paper she was holding. It was a leaflet for a festival that was coming to this town tomorrow afternoon. It looked pretty fun- untill I saw the price.

"That looks great, Ushio, but I just can't afford that" I said, hating to disapoint her

"But, look! Families go free. You just have to take this" She said excitedly

"Ushio, It says there must be two parents and at least one child for the _Families go free_ offer. Maybe Ryou and Norio could take you for the day" I was disapointed myself. The thought of taking Ushio to a family festival was lovely.

"No, I want Uncle Youhei!" She crossed her arms in a huff

"Uh oh, You're not sulking are you? You know what sulky children get don't you?" I teased

"No" She mumbled with a frown

"They get tickled!" I declared with a grin. I began to tickle her up and down whilst she wriggled and squealed with laughter. There was something so special about making Ushio laugh.

"No, stop it! Stop it!" She laughed between breaths.

"Will you stop sulking?" I asked

"Yes!" She giggled

"Okay, then I'll stop" I smiled and pulled her in for a hug.

"What's going on in here?" Ryou asked as she walked in the room followed by Kyou, who was also now in her pyjamas.

"I want Uncle Youhei to take me to this, but we aren't a family" Ushio said, holding up the leaflet to the girls. They quickly scanned over it together.

"Ushio, hunny, I wish Norio and I could take you but I have my final check up with my doctor tomorrow and then we're going to see Norio's parents" Ryou said sadly. Ushio stood quietly for a moment. the three of us watched her as she stared at her feet. I could tell she was about to get upset.

"It's okay" She whispered before running from the room.

"I'll go talk to her" I said

"No, let me. I could use the practise" Ryou smiled and went after Ushio. Once again it was just me and Kyou.

"This looks like fun, I can see why she wants to go" Kyou said, still looking at the leaflet

"Yeah it does. I just can't afford to pay for us all individually" I said

"Families go free" She said, almost to herself. Before I had a chance to reply Norio entered the room with his arms full of plates.

"Let me help you" I jumped up and took a couple plates for him and placed them at the table. I didn't know what this dish was but it smelt delicious and was sure to taste nicer than the strange concoctions I had been preparing for Ushio and I recently.

We ate quietly, no one saying much or even looking up from their plates. Ushio, still upset, just pushed her food around her plate and made a point of sighing ever so often. I felt a little awkward and soon excused myself from the table to set up my makeshift bed. The guest room was nice. Light blue walls with cream carpet and a big double bed under the window. I couldn't see any room for a makeshift bed in there though. Maybe I would just be chucked in the corner with a blanket. I began to try and push things around to make even the slightest room for me, but it was no use.

"What are you doing?" Kyou asked. I was lead on the floor testing how comfy it once since it seemed more than likely that I'd be sleeping on it.

"Just testing the floor" I said, slightly embarrassed

"Why?" She held out a hand and helped me to my feet

"There isn't any room for another bed, so I'm going to have to sleep on the floor" I said

"Hmm" Kyou walked around me and inspected the room herself "You're right, there is no room for another bed in here"

"I should just sleep in the front room"

"Or you could just sleep in the double bed too" She smiled

"What?" I gulped. She did want to share a bed with me! I knew it.

"Well It's a big double and Ushio is only small. I think we could all fit. It's better than you sleeping on the floor" She made some good points. But I couldn't share a bed with Kyou, could I? No I couldn't. Although it would be nicer than sleeping on the floor. No, what am I thinking?

"But, Kyou-"I began

"Youhei.." She said whilst rolling her eyes

"You're asking me to share the bed with you, right?"

A little while later I was in the bathroom with Ushio getting her ready for bed. She was wearing the pyjamas I had bought her and my hoody which she loved to snuggle up in.

"I really am sorry about the festival, Ushio. How about I take you to the park in stead" I offered. She was sat on the floor in front of me whilst I brushed her hair for her. She liked me to brush her hair before bed, she said it made her sleepy. And her hair was so soft, I loved to play with it.

"That's okay" She said. I sighed. I was supposed to be fun uncle Youhei, I hated to disappoint her like this. The bathroom door slowly opened and there was Kyou. She knelt down in front Ushio and I and smiled.

"Hey, I've been thinking" Kyou said

"Uh oh" I teased

"Youhei, be quiet and listen to me. This leaflet says there must be two parents and a child. So, how about we play happy family for the day?" Kyou smiled, she obviously thought she was a genious

"What?" I asked

"You can play daddy, I'll play mummy and Ushio will play our adorable little girl. Two parents and a child" Kyou smiled and tapped Ushio on the head

"Really? Yes! Lets play happy family!" Ushio shrieked, brimming with excitement

"I don't know, Kyou. They'll be able to tell we aren't a couple" I said

"No, Youhei, they won't. It wont hurt us to act like a couple just for a few hours" She said. Is she serious? She wants us to act like a couple? What is going on?

"Please, Uncle Youhei?" Ushio turned round and flashed me her best puppy dog face. How can I say no to her?

"Well, okay" I said nervously "I guess we're one happy family"


	7. Chapter 7: Ribbon

After a little while longer of brushing her hair Ushio was very sleepy. I carried her to our guest room and tucked her under the covers. I have to admit, I couldn't wait to take Ushio to the festival tomorrow and even pretending to be Kyou's husband seemed exciting. I wanted to win them toys and buy Ushio candy floss and ice creams. For some reason I loved the thought of being a dad for the day.

"You'll be my daddy tomorrow" She said sleepily

"As long as you don't mind" I said and sat on the side of the bed

"I'm excited" She said as she rubbed her eyes "Mummy Kyou and daddy Youhei" She closed her eyes and snuggled further into the covers. _Daddy Youhei _I smiled at the thought.

"Good night, Ushio" I placed a kiss on her head and left the room.I shut the door behind me and turned to see Kyou smiling at me from the front room. She looked so pretty with her messy hair and cute pyjamas. She started walking towards the back garden and beckoned me to follow. I still couldn't quite wrap my head around how nice she was being to me. She actually wanted me around and she wanted to be seen as my wife. The thought gave me butterfly's like I was a little boy talking to his crush for the first time. When I got out to the garden Kyou was sat in the grass staring up at the sky. Tonight the sky was dark and full of stars.

"Hey, hubby" She said as I sat down beside her

"Hey, wifey" Somehow calling Kyou wifey didn't sound awkward or strange to me

"Are you looking forward to tomorrow?" She asked, still staring in to the sky

"I am. I really am. Are you?" I asked. She turned to look at me with a slight smile and nodded. Her cheeks were flushed red by the cold nip in the air and hair blew gently in the breeze. The more I looked the more I thought short hair looked great on her, although I did miss her ribbon. Kyou wasn't quite Kyou without her ribbon.

"I love it here" She said, turning back to the stars "You feel so welcome and at home." She grabbed a section of her hair, where her ribbon would usually be tied, and span it through her fingers.

I watched her as she spoke. Her eyes, usually bright and full of sparkle, were sad and distant. Did she not feel at home and welcome at her own home? Come to think of it, she hadn't once mentioned her husband since we left. I would of thought she'd at least call him to let him know she got here safely.

"Are you okay?" I asked. She took a moment to reply.

"I am" She smiled and stood. I stood too and placed my hands on her shoulders.

"Are you sure?" I asked, looking deep in to her eyes. Again, she simply nodded and smiled. I wasn't convinced but I wasn't going to push her, she'd tell me if she wanted to. We spent the rest of the evening inside chatting to Ryou and Norio about the baby. Ryou was due to have the baby in a week and had planned to have a natural birth. Crazy, right?

"Natural birth?" Kyou asked, stunned

"Yep" Ryou smiled

"But, Ryou, do you know how painful it is?" Kyou grabbed her sister's hands in her's

"Yes and I'm okay with it" Ryou said. Wow, she had changed so much. The Ryou I used to know would burst in to tears just at the thought of anything even slightly painful and now here she was willing to have a natural birth.

"Good luck, you guys" I said with a smile

"Thank you, Sunohara" Kyou was one of the only people that still called me Sunohara.

A little while later we all decided to turn in for the night. Kyou and I quietly snuck in to our room in an effort not to wake Ushio. We stood back and watched her all cuddled up in the covers right in the middle of the bed.

"She's so cute" Kyou smiled

"Yeah, she is" I agreed. Kyou and I wondered to either side of the bed and quietly slipped in next to Ushio. The three of us slept perfectly that night.

I was the first to wake up that morning. I looked over to find Ushio hugging my arm with her head nestled in to my shoulder but the thing that surprised me most was Kyou's arm stretched across Ushio and resting on my chest. The strange thing is that I felt totally comfortable with it and was reluctant to move or wake the girls. I felt like I wanted to lay like that for a while and just enjoy having them there but unfortunately it was time to get up.

"Kyou" I said quietly "Kyou, it's time to get up"

"Okay" She mumbled without even opening her eyes.

"The festival is in an hour and a half" I said gently whilst placing a hand on her should and rocking her slightly

"Okay, okay. I'll get up" She said. I watched her as she slowly opened her eyes and smiled tiredly at me. This was it. This is what I wanted- I knew it right in that moment. I wanted a family. I wanted to wake up in the morning next to my wife and spend days with my children. When I was younger I ran from the idea of settling down but now, for some reason, it was all I could imagine for myself. Thinking of this made me smile stupidly at Kyou but she didn't seem to mind. In fact she was staring back at me with pretty much the same expression. _I wonder what she's thinking about _I thought. She must have realised she still had her hand rested on my chest and suddenly pulled it away and jumped out of bed.

"I'll go get ready" She said quickly then hurried out of the room. I kept staring at the doorway almost hoping she'd come back. Then I felt Ushio sit up next to me.

"Good morning, sunshine" I smiled and swept her hair off her face. Her eyes were still droopy and full of sleep.

"Festival!" She squealed and began to joyfully jump up and down on the bed. I laughed as I watched her leap and scream with excitement.

"Well someone's definitely a morning person" I said. Ushio rushed out to get ready with Kyou and pick out outfits, it's a girl thing I guess, whilst I sat in bed a little longer.

"So today is the day" Ryou appeared in the door way, looking as glowy and bright as ever

"Yeah, the festival will be great" I said

"That's not what I meant" She came further in to the room and sat on the side of the bed

"What did you mean, then?" I asked

"Today is the day you and Kyou become a couple"

"Well, it's just for the day" I said shyly

"Exciting though, right?" She asked. I sunk lower in the bed and tried to hide the fact that I was blushing slightly

"I guess" I said casually. She watched me closely as if she was searching for a different reaction from me.

"Hmm. Make sure you treat her right, Sunorhara" She winked and then headed for the door "And, Sunohara..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't run away this time" She said and with that she was gone.

"What did that mean?" I asked myself. I tried to brush of my little encounter with Ryou and headed to the bathroom to get ready. It was a gorgeously bright day- perfect for a festival. I turned the taps and watched the sink fill with water. My feelings were suddenly all over the place and I was starting to feel confused about every little thing so I began to splash my face with water in the hope that it would wake me up a little more. I needed to be on full alert for any more strange comments from the sisters. After washing I headed to my suitcase to pick an outfit for the, how ever, I am a boy so I simply went with a pair of jeans and pale blue T-shirt. I had never been much in to fashion but that didn't mean I wanted to dress like a slob. I searched for my hoody but then remembered Ushio still had it with her.

"Guess I wont be getting that back" I said to myself whilst I pulled out my only other hoody and shrugged it on. I sauntered in to the kitchen where Norio and Ryou were sat chatting.I felt a stab of envy as I watched the two of them laugh together and touch each other so affectionately. There was a plate of toast on the table and a wide variety of different jams. I pulled out a chair and began to spread some peach jam on my toast, trying not to interrupt Ryou and Norio.

"So, the festival today then?" Norio smiled at me

"Yeah, they're pretending to be a family" Ryou said to him

"Really? Kyou's husband best not find out" Norio said. Oh god, I hadn't even thought about how her actual husband would feel about me pretending to be her husband.

"Hunny, he wont find out" Ryou smiled sweetly and got up to pour herself another cup of juice.

Norio leant forward and spoke to me quietly "I hear he's a bit strict" He said behind his hand

"Strict?" I whispered back

"Yeah. Tells her what and what not to do, stuff like that" Norio said pulling a sympathetic expression. I swallowed my toast hard and sat back in my chair. Kajiro had always seemed nice to me, but I had only spoken to him a few times. Some of the comments that Kyou had been making were now sort of making sense. Was he controlling Kyou? I hated that thought but I could tell that it was information no one wanted getting out since Norio had whispered it behind his hand to me so I tried to push it down and hope it was a mistake.

"Right we best get going" Ryou said to Norio

"Yes, we'll see you tonight" Norio smiled and headed out

"Remember what I said, Sunohara. Have a good time" Ryou grinned and followed her husand to their car. _What is with these people?_ I thought to myself and prepared another slice of toast.

"Yummy" Suddenly Ushio was at the table with her hands in the jams

"Ushio don't ruin your dress" Kyou ran over with a wet cloth and started wiping Ushio's hands. I stared with admiration at the two of them. They were both dressed in pretty summer dresses with there hair hanging beautifully at their shoulders and beaded bracelets around their wrists. They were both beautiful girls. You could really see Nagisa in Ushio and Kyou was just her own kind of beautiful.

"You both look lovely" I said

"Thank you, dear" Kyou smirked

"So we're in character already, are we?" I asked with a grin

"Oh yes, it needs to be convincing" Kyou said buttering some toast for Ushio. I wonder how she'll want us to act when we actually get there. I was nervous but excited too so my stomach was in all kinds of knots and butterflies. We finished up breakfast and went outside to catch a cab to the festival. The air was warm and heavy and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. I was hoping for a breeze to help clear my head but no such luck, the day was still. When the cab came Ushio and Kyou sat in the back whilst I took the seat next to the driver up front. I could hear the girls giggling and chatting in the back and it brought a huge smile to my face.

"You folks are off to the festival then" The driver said cheerfully

"Yep, we get in free because we're a family!" Ushio replied

"Ah right, wonderful" He smiled and turned to me "Lovely family you've got" He said

"They are, thank you" I said.

The cab pulled up to the bottom of a big hill engulfed with lush trees and flowers.

"Is this it?" I asked

"Yep, just walk up that hill and you'll be there" The driver said. So we paid and started our trek up the hill. Ushio asked to go on my shoulders which made the climb a lot harder but I didn't even mind. After a short five minutes or so we would hear a live band pouring some up beat music through the trees.

"We're here!" Ushio squealed. I looked up to find myself stood in front of a huge expanse of fields full of all sorts of incredible stands and performers and happy families and young couples dancing around and smiling every where. There were three big stage areas, all with different kind of performers and audiences, there were many pop up restaurants and food stands and I could see a ton of activities that looked like a lot of fun. The trees were beautifully decorated with lanterns and ornamental birds and butterflies. _No wonder Ushio wanted to come so badly _I thought.

"Looks like that's where you get in" Kyou pointed to a set of tables that people were queuing by. We wandered over with Ushio wriggling with excitement on my shoulders.

"You ready, hubby?" Kyou said in my ear. I felt a little guilty for her actual husband but I wasn't really thinking straight.

"I'm ready" I said and took a deep breath as we stepped forward to the table.

"Well, hello there" The woman at the table beamed

"Hi" Kyou smiled "we are here with the families go free offer" she handed over the leaflet and then wrapped her arms around my waist which definitely startled me a little.

"Ah, yes. Perfect. You look like a lovely family" The woman said

"Thank you" Kyou said and held my waist even tighter. I just stood there silently, probably looking like an idiot.

"If I could just stamp your hands" The woman smiled. Kyou held out her hand and I lifted Ushio off my shoulders so the two of us could have ours stamped too.

"Enjoy your day" The woman said as he wandered in to the festival.

"It worked, we are officially a family for the day" A smiled spread wide across Kyou's face and she lifted Ushio in to her arms

"What do we do first?" I asked looking around feeling slightly bewildered

"I want to do that" Ushio pointed at a game stand to the right of us full of big cuddly pandas you could win so of course she wanted to do it.

"Okay, lets go" Kyou smiled and headed over to the stand. The aim of the game was to watch a magician hide a ball under three mini pandas and guess which one the ball was under. Ushio found it brilliantly exciting and had about ten goes.

"I hope she wins soon" I said to Kyou

"If she doesn't, I'll distract the guy and you grab a panda and run" Kyou teased. I laughed a little and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Okay, it's a plan" I smiled. Luckily Ushio won a giant panda on her next go and screamed with joy as the magician handed it over to her.

"Look, Look! Daddy, I won!" Ushio yelled. _Daddy, she called me daddy _I thought suddenly. My heart stopped and my stomach twisted. Something about being called daddy did something to me.

"Weldone, Ushio" I said happily. Guess who got to carry that panda for the rest of the day- me.

The next thing Ushio wanted to do was get her face painted and so she picked out a few pretty flowers to have painted on her cheeks. She was hopeless at getting her face painted. She would not sit still and kept laughing saying that it was too "tickly".

"You should get your face done" Kyou said

"I will if you will" I smirked

"Really?" She said, surprised

"Really"

"Deal" She held her hand out for me to shake. We looked at the options together and I decided on a beard and Kyou got whiskers. I couldn't believe I was having my face painted, but I was really enjoying myself.

"How do I look?" I said once the women had finished painting my beard.

"You look silly" Ushio laughed

"I think you look handsome with a beard" Kyou said cheekily

"Oh yeah? Well now it's your turn" I grinned

"Oh god" She said as she took her place in the chair

"What did you decide on?" The painter asked her

"I'm going with the whiskers" Kyou said embarrassedly. Ushio and I watched and giggled as Kyou sat there and had whiskers painted on her face, but then I remembered I had a beard painted on mine.

"Very cute" I said as Kyou stood from the chair. I wasn't lying, she did look cute.

"What are we like?" Kyou laughed as the three of us walked away together with all our faces painted. We spent the next couple of hourse going from stand to stand helping Ushio win herself some new toys and enjoying the atmosphere ad music. I was really happy. It seemed like the best day and made me want a family of my own even more. I loved being a family for the day, but it wasn't real like I wanted it to be. After all of this Kyou would go back to her husband and Ushio would go back to her real parents and I guess I would return home- alone. _I just have to enjoy it while I can _I thought.

"That looks nice" Kyou pointed to a little area that had been sectioned off to make a lovely looking food area. It was full of sweet stands, ice cream stands, drink stands and pretty tables and chairs that had been set out.

"Would you like an ice cream, Ushio?" I asked

"Yes please, but I need to go for a toilet first" She said shyly

"I'll take her" Kyou said and they hurried off to one of the portaloos. Before I went to the ice cream stand I noticed an arts and crafts tent out the corner of my eye. I was drawn to it for some reason. I wandered in and looked around it for a while. The tent was beautiful on the inside and it was full of wonderful little arts and crafts. There were hundreds of beads and stickers and paints. Everything looked too delicate for my clumsy hands though, so I simply admired rather than touched.

"Can I help you, young man?" A pleasant old women was now at my side and smiling up at me. I hadn't even noticed her when I first walked in.

"I'm looking for some ribbon" I said without even thinking. _Why did I ask for ribbon? _I thought.

"We have a lovely selection of ribbons right here" She pulled at a drawer and revealed some very pretty looking ribbons. I had honestly never seen so many ribbons. There was a stunning white, lacy ribbon with a delicate sparkle running through it. I picked it up and stared at it closely. I needed it.

"Very good choice" The old women said

"How much is it?" I asked

"Take it" She smiled as she cut me off a long piece

"Thank you very much" I said. I tucked the ribbon in to my pocket and returned to the ice cream stand.

"There you are" Kyou smiled

"We got you strawberry" Ushio said through a mouthful of chocolate Ice cream

"Thank you" I smiled and sat down beside them.

"There's a river over there that the kids are aloud to paddle in, Ushio would like to go" Kyou said

"That sounds nice" I said. After we finished our ice creams we headed over to the river. There weren't any other kids in there so Ushio had a lot of room to splash around in. I sat her down and pulled off her shoes and socks for her and as soon as they were off she was gone and in the water.

"Are you coming in?" Kyou said running off towards the water too. I thought about it for a moment.

"Of course" I beamed, chucked off my shoes and socks and hoody and ran into the water after them. We splashed around for a long time together, not even caring if our clothes got wet. I had never had so much fun with Kyou, she looked happier than I'd ever seen her. And her laugh, I had never truly heard her laugh before but it was a wonderful sound. After a while Ushio decided to try and catch some fish so it was just me and Kyou left in the water fight.

"Here's a big one" Kyou said and sent a huge splash of water my way. I gasped as the water washed over me completely.

"My beard!" I exclaimed "You're going down now" I said narrowing my eyes towards Kyou

"No!" She screamed and began to try and run away but of course the water made it difficult. I lunged forward and threw my arms around her waist, swinging her in to the air. Her legs kicked up the water and we stood spinning in the sparkling water together- laughing and squealing. Perfection, perfection, perfection. How was this so perfect? How am I lucky enough to be in this beautiful moment?

"Okay, okay! You win!"Kyou laughed.

"Alright, I'll put you down" I said. When I stopped spinning I quickly came over all dizzy and in attempting to put Kyou back to her feet I ended up falling over her. The two of us tumbled in to the water with a huge splash. There wasn't much water to break our fall and I ended up landing right on top of Kyou. I laid there for a moment, unable to move through pure shock. Kyou made no effort to move either and we laid there in the water together. I raised my head a little so we were now face to face. I hand an arm on either side of her head and a leg on either side of her's. She was pretty much trapped beneath me, just staring up at me. My hair dripped down on to her skin as I looked down at her. Her cheeks had flushed red and she was breathing heavily, as was I. A part of me was yelling _Get up! _But another part of me was saying _Kiss her! _I can't kiss Kyou, can I? She's married, what am I thinking? Kissing her could cause all sorts of problems. But then again, this moment was perfect in every way. Do I kiss her?


End file.
